


In the Face of his Pride

by HatterLifeStyle



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Basically just an excuse to practice a little writing, In which Lena Luthor is thrust into Sarah Bennet's shoes and proves to be a little more merciful, Slasher AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-09 00:19:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10399437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HatterLifeStyle/pseuds/HatterLifeStyle
Summary: After a couple of trying months in which numerous murders have been terrorizing the town, Lena Luthor realizes that the man behind it all is her brother. Taking matters into her own hands turns out to be more complicated than expected.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A little snippet of the Slasher AU I will never actually get around to writing even though I have so many headcanons. The idea was to basically integrate dialogue from both series and have it make at least a bit of sense. Anyway, if anyone is interested in hearing some of my headcanons for this AU hit me up on tumblr @hatterlifestyle!

Lena runs down the stairs, and through the haze in her head caused by the maddened beating of her heart she has the presence of mind to hope that Kara will be alright, that her foolish attempt to put a stop to her brother won't result in the one loss she knows she'd never be able to bear. The thought is cut short when Lex latches onto her arm just as she's reaching the bottom of the stairs. Before she knows it she's being flung to the ground with enough force to momentarily stun her. She doesn't see Lex's arm raise the machete in a high arc nor does she register its descent until the searing pain in her left shoulder shocks her system and a blood-curdling scream tears itself from her throat. Lex slowly extracts the blade from her flesh, and she groans and whimpers at this new batch of pain. She can feel her blood simultaneously pounding furiously in her ears and pooling on the floor under her as Lex paces anxiously around her.

"This isn't what I wanted, Lena!" He manages between gasps. "This is the exact opposite of what I wanted!" And the Luthor madness shows now more than ever, made evident by the corded tendons in his neck, the redness in his face and the horrifying white of his eyes. He kicks the box that Lena had placed aside. The one filled with memories she had planned to leave behind forever. They skid along the floor towards her, Lionel's ashes among them. Lena can do nothing but gasp for breath as she clutches at her mangled shoulder and tries helplessly to shamble away from her deranged brother. The sounds seem to stir something in Lex's memory because suddenly he's lying down beside her, his head is pressed to her shoulder like he used to do when they were children; back when she would need his comfort after a nightmare. The fractured familiarity of the gesture is almost more painful than the pressure his head exerts on her wound.

"Did I ever tell you about the first time I ever saw you, Lena?" She can't see his face from where it's pillowed on her shoulder, but she can hear the smile in his voice. Once upon a time that same tone of voice had been enough to coax a smile of her own even on the roughest of days. Yet another thing destroyed by Lex's madness. "You were so tiny. I was thirteen and hadn't even hit my first growth spurt but you were still so, so tiny in comparison and I remember thinking that you needed protecting," He chuckles quietly and nuzzles closer into her, his chin digging into the wound even more than before, making her cry out. " And you were clutching onto that ragged old teddy bear of yours in one hand and father's hand in the other. And through it all, you held your head high and proud, like a true Luthor." He sighs and shifts slightly so that he can face her more fully. "A perfect daughter for a perfect family, you know?" He murmurs, brushing a strand of blood-slicked hair from where it clings to her cheek.

"Perfect?" She manages to ask between gasps, the incredulousness in her voice masked by the breathlessness with which the words leave her. It's hard for Lena to breathe when every heave of her chest seems to spark a new wave of agony from her shoulder; but Lex just nods in response to her question and lets his fingers linger against her cheek, stroking her skin softly for a long moment before a particularly sharp gasp for breath from Lena seems to snap him out of it.

"Well..." He sighs again, as if he'd remembered some mildly unpleasant chore he had to see to, and then he lifts his head from her shoulder and moves until he's straddling her stomach, effectively pinning her to the ground. "I'm sorry, Lena." This time she does see his arm swing up in a high arc and she doesn't even have time to think, just wraps her hand around the first thing she can get a hold of and swings with all her might.

Lionel's urn collides with his son's head and sends him toppling to the ground with a muffled metallic clang. The sound is followed by a chorus of groans from both of his children as they simultaneously writhe in pain on the floor.

Lena is the first to stir. Still groaning in pain, she manages to drag herself to her feet and take a hold of Lex's weapon before stumbling her way towards the door in search of help. Just as she's reaching it though, Lex stirs and sees her. "Lena!" He calls out, and though there's fear in his voice he is still as commanding as ever, as if she'd still answer to him even after everything he'd done.

Something in her snaps.

She freezes for a long moment, the hand that had been reaching for the doorknob hovers before it changes course, going instead to the lock and turning it with a resounding finality. She turns to face him, her expression cold and with a new, dangerous sharpness to it as she takes slow, measured steps towards her fallen brother. Lex for his part whimpers slightly as he drags his limp body away from her, uttering muted pleas that fall on Lena's deaf ears. Her one good arm holds the knife up high, the threat made clear as day as she prowls ever closer before slowly kneeling in front of her brother, who has finally cornered himself against the stairs. She lifts the knife higher, a sob making itself known as all of her fear, and pain and anger come to a maddening crescendo before being suddenly interrupted.

"Lena, don't!"

Lena's eyes snap up and land on Kara. Brave, noble Kara who is clutching at her bleeding side as she slowly makes her way down the stairs towards her, blue eyes bright as they plead with her. "Please... don't."  
"Why?" She asks, the words distorted by the sob caught in her throat. Why? She just wants it all over. Wants everything involving this night and Lex's reign of terror to end. She can see no other way to bring that about than with the knife clutched desperately in her hand. "Why not?"

"Because you're not like them." Kara's voice is soothing as she continues easing her way down the stairs, the hand not pressed to her side lifted slightly in front of her in a placating gesture. "Lex and your mother, they are cold and dangerous," And as she continues speaking she finally reaches the bottom of the stairs."And you are not like that. You, Lena, are too good and too smart, and too kind to follow in their footsteps." Kara slowly eases her body between the two Luthors, momentarily blocking Lena's view of her brother and it's enough to give her pause. Kara's hand is warm as it wraps around her wrist and slowly guides her into lowering the knife. "Don't let your family take control of your story, Lena. Be your own hero." When Lena's grip slackens against the cool metal hilt Kara gently eases it out of her hand and tosses it far down the hall, where neither one of the wounded Luthor siblings can get to it. She then reaches out to wrap her hand around the nape of Lena's neck to tuck her against her body.

Lena heaves a deep, shuddering gasp and feels the first tears begin to fall. Here in Kara's arms she can actually believe that this nightmare might finally be over. She can hear police sirens coming steadily closer, no doubt Alex and Maggie answering the frantic call she'd managed to get in before her final confrontation with her brother had taken place. Her attention turns back to Lex, who seems frozen in place by the sheer terror of having had the roles reversed even if just for one agonizingly eternal moment.

"You're wrong, Lex." She manages to grind out.

"What?" A stuttering gasp leaves Lex, as if the thought of being wrong, even in the face of all his transgressions, is simply unthinkable. 

"You're wrong," She manages again, stronger than before. "When we first met I wasn't proud, I wasn't perfect." She can feel that burning rage rising up again, anchored only by the stability of Kara's warm embrace. "I was four years old and my family had just died! I was scared and lonely and I had no idea who any of you were, let alone who I was! I wasn't perfect!" Kara warm hand settles on the small of her back rubbing soothing circles into her drenched shirt as she presses a kiss to Lena's hairline and that is quite possibly the only thing that keeps Lena from making a mad dash to the knife she can still just barely see lying down the hall. Instead she tries to take a deep breath, her teeth clenching at the agonizing throb in her shoulder. "But I know now. You are all monsters, and I..." Her gaze flickers away from Lex, turns to Kara who gives her an encouraging nod. "I'm not."

The words bring with them a wave of relief so potent she shudders, eyes closing as she lets the truth of them sink in. "There has never been a perfect Luthor." She mutters with finality. Lex looks even more affronted by the statement, if that's even possible. Any response he might have made is interrupted when Alex crashes through the door with a team of police officers at her back, barking orders with her stern professionalism.  
Lena lets herself relax as soon as she sees Alex personally slap the cuffs onto Lex's wrists. She turns to press her face into Kara's shoulder and melts into the warm body enveloping her own, surrendering consciousness and allowing the nightmare to finally end.


End file.
